Nelson Mandela-Graça Machel Innovation Awards: Call for Applications (Up to $7,500 Seed Funding)
The Nelson Mandela-Graça Machel Innovation Awards honor and assist people and groups worldwide who are creating innovative and significant ideas to create a more equitable world and who are positively influencing movements for justice and citizen rights.
It was created by CIVICUS in 2004. Since their establishment, the awards have helped to increase the impact of grassroots initiatives by offering networking support, communication possibilities, and seed cash.
With seed money of US$7,500, five creative ideas and projects from people, organizations, networks, or community groups will be honored with the Nelson Mandela Graça Machel Innovation Awards 2024–2025.
Enhancing Humanity
We are looking for innovations that challenge the current quo and heal divisions under the overarching topic of “Uplifting Humanity.” We want to hear about your endeavors, whether they are focused on bridging citizens and government, pursuing tech for good, investigating the relationship between climate change and social justice, or exhibiting community resilience.
Categories of Awards
The following categories will be used to present the five awards:
- Individual Award: Recognizes the achievements of a single person who has demonstrated innovative thinking and made a significant impact through creative interventions in their community.
- Organisation Award: Recognizes an organization that has transformed its ways of working and made a positive impact through its collective efforts. The award acknowledges the organization’s commitment to creativity, collaboration, and the change they have brought to their community or the sector.
- Youth Award: Recognizes the outstanding achievements of young innovators who have demonstrated inspiring creativity and made a difference with their interventions.
- Brave Philanthropy Award: Recognizes those individuals and organizations that promote just and equitable financial partnerships and have exhibited courage and innovation in their philanthropic endeavors.
- Community Award: Recognizes individuals, groups, or organizations whose efforts have led to betterment in their community. The award acknowledges their commitment to addressing local challenges, fostering collaboration, bridging divides, and fostering growth through their efforts.
Eligibility
Please consider applying if:
- Your innovation is a product, service, or process that creates value and has the potential to make a difference for the better in your community.
- Your innovation, whether a product, service, or process, protects or expands civic space by promoting and defending freedom of peaceful assembly, freedom of association, or freedom of expression.
- Your innovation helps build community and/or promotes social justice.
- You are over the age of 18 at the time of applying.
- Available and excited for two trips to promote Innovation!
- You can apply in English, Spanish, French and Arabic.
The Prize
One winner from each category will be selected. Each winning initiative will receive:
- A US$7,500 award to further your amazing work!
- Two fully-funded trips to an Innovation Convening in late May 2025 and to International Civil Society Week from 1 – 5 November 2025, in Bangkok.
- Join CIVICUS’ Innovation Community!
Awards Timeline
- Deadline: 7th March 2025
- Winners Announced: 1st week of April
- Innovation Convening: May 2025
- 1-5 November 2025: International Civil Society Week in Bangkok
The Innovation Awards application
To access the application form, users must quickly register on the platform. This is due to the fact that you can make changes to your application up until the deadline. Applications will only be approved if they are submitted using the site.
Due date: March 7, 2025
To apply, click HERE.
